


Strays Side Story: Down for the Count

by blackash26



Series: Strays Verse [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Sickfic, Side Story, Strays Side Story, batfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-22
Updated: 2013-07-22
Packaged: 2017-12-21 00:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/893817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackash26/pseuds/blackash26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Catching Alien Flu sucks majorly, but Dick has just the thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strays Side Story: Down for the Count

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tigrislupa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigrislupa/gifts).



> This short is for Tigrislupa who is incredibly sweet and kind. 
> 
> This side story takes place sometime during the three year break between the first “book” of Strays, i.e. the adoption of Tim and Jason, and the beginning of the second “book” which covers Steph’s adoption which takes place during the first season of Young Justice.

Bruce stared up at the ceiling of his room for what felt like the thousandth time and cursed the JL.

He hated leaving Gotham. His city always went to hell whenever he needed to help with some crisis or another, and it was even worse when he needed to go off-world.

But he hadn’t had a choice. Because apparently the people he worked with couldn’t string a thought together with a supercomputer and an AI to help them.

A noise from the doorway of his room distracted him from his slightly murderous thoughts toward the imbeciles the world knew as the JL. He couldn’t bring himself to turn his head and look. Just thinking about moving made his entire body ache. He could tell from the creak of the floor boards that Alfred’s blockade had been breached.

It was nice of them to visit. At least he’d have something to pay attention to besides his ceiling and the dripping faucet in the bathroom down the hall.

“He’s not going to die, is he?” a small voice asked, slightly closer now.

That was Jason.

Bruce would assure the boy that he was just fine, but vocalization was currently beyond his abilities. He could only lie there and listen to small feet pad quietly over to his bed.

“Nah. A little alien flu won’t keep Bruce down for long. Don’t worry,” Dick said with more confidence than he obviously felt.

“But he isn’t moving,” Tim murmured worriedly even as Jason exclaimed, “I wasn’t fucking worried!”

 “Language,” Tim berated automatically causing Dick to giggle.

“Stuff it, Dickface,” Jason growled. “Can we get this over with or what?”

“Are you sure he isn’t sleeping?” Tim asked nervously. “What if we wake him up? Won’t he be angry?”

“Oh, no,” Dick said and Bruce could  _hear_  his eldest’s grin. “He’s wide awake. He just can’t move because of the gerbadorfin flu he caught.”

“I thought it was called Jerldpaphin Fldrkdg,” Tim said.

“How the hell did you even figure out how to pronounce that, Babybird?” Jason asked incredulously.

“Not the point, birdies,” Dick cut in. “Regardless of what bizarre alien disease has overtaken Bruce, it is our duty as his charges to help him get better with the power of love.”

“I don’t think sickness works that way, Dick,” Tim said and Bruce didn’t have to see the child to imagine his perplexed expression.

“Of course it does!” Dick said firmly. “Come on! It’s not like he’s contagious. We practiced and everything, don’t chicken out on me now!”

“Who are you calling chicken?” Jason demanded.

Bruce held back a wince as he felt the bed shift. In a few moments, the boys were all piled onto the bed.

“Hey, Bruce,” Dick said softly. “Alfred said we should leave you alone, but Jaybird was really worried about you, so we came to check up on you.”

“I was not!” Jason snapped defensively.

“Yes you were,” Tim said softly.

Jason said nothing in response as he always did on the rare occasion that Tim, not Dick, called him out on something.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Dick said loudly, “We made get well cards for you. And  _I_  wanted to sing a song for you, but Jay and Timmy were too shy.”

Jason squawked in protest, but Dick happily ignored the younger boy.

A white piece of paper was shoved in front of face. Bruce blinked slowly and tried to focus on the paper. He was thankful that the boys hadn’t decided to visit the day before when he was still seeing in Technicolor.

After a few moments he realized that it was supposed to be a card.

“I made this one,” Dick informed him happily as the white paper unfolded revealing a colorful picture of what was either a porcupine or a bat. It said: ‘For a guy who never gets sick, you sure get the coolest diseases when you do. Get better soon B, okay?’”

“Right, it’s the kid’s turn now,” Jason said abruptly and the card disappeared from Bruce’s view only to be replaced with another. This one was seemed to be of a grassy field and bright sun. “Um. Hello Bruce. Sorry for waking you up, but uh, we, I was worried about you. So, please feel better?”

“Wasn’t that just adorable?” Dick cooed.

“Right, right, my turn,” Jason said. Another card covered with bright swatches of color was shoved in front of his face. “It said: You better get better Batdad, or else. So there. You don’t have a choice now.”

Bruce’s heart ached a bit from something completely unrelated to his illness. He wished he wasn’t in too much pain to move, or else he would turn and look at his three boys and assure them that he was just fine, that they were worried for no reason.

At least the hallucinations had stopped on the ride back to Earth.

“Right,” Dick said suddenly. “I know what will make Bruce better even faster!”

“What?” the other two boys asked.

“Chicken soup!” Dick exclaimed. “Let’s go make some!”

Before Bruce could even begin to process that, the bed shifted and he heard the patter of feet across his floor. Once he realized what the boys were planning he closed his eyes and let out a pained sigh. He just hoped Alfred caught them before them burned down the manor.

Still, it was probably the thought that counted. And the thought was very nice.

Besides, he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep, he could definitely afford to replace the kitchen every once in a while if it made his kids happy.


End file.
